Holiday Travel Watch by 4mediarelations

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Holiday Standards Report: Contents Introduction

Travel Security

Brexit

Term-Time Travel

Complaints

Snow Sports

Gap Years

Safety Certificates

Where Next?

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Holiday Standards Report: An Introduction

Frank Brehany Consumer Director Holiday Travel Watch

Welcome to the second annual Holiday Travel Watch Holiday Standards white paper report, our comprehensive investigation into the hopes, fears and attitudes that the UK travel and tourism consumer holds in 2016 and what we in the industry need to take heed of and learn from. Sadly, it may come as no surprise that this year’s will have a slightly more serious feel in places than in years gone by. All too often over the last 12 months, the eyes of the world have fallen upon some of its fairest cities to find them gripped by unspeakable horror, causing our services to be called upon in the worst possible circumstances. It has seemed an almost weekly occurrence recently that we are required to comment and advise on how anxious relatives could contact loved-ones, whether once bustling destinations were now off limits and if concerned consumers could claim back some modicum of compensation. As such, dark clouds of uncertainty still hang over much of the industry and much of the world in general, as travellers,

holidaymakers and tour operators alike attempt to come to terms with what has happened and, in every sense, where we go next. However, at Holiday Travel Watch, we firmly believe that the only way in which both tourism and the global community at large can make the world a safer place for those who still explore and experience the world we live in is to meet things head-on.

“Dark clouds of uncertainty still hang over much of the industry as we attempt to come to terms with, in every sense, where we go next” It isn’t simply enough to turn up back at an airport the morning after Paris, Brussels or Tunisia and act as if nothing happened. It doesn’t make us any safer to put the side-screens up and refuse to look inwardly. We cannot live in fear of travel, because travel and interaction is one of the only things which can truly help humans to understand,

Holiday Standards Report 2016

“We cannot live in fear of travel, because travel is one of the only things which can truly help humans to understand, appreciate and embrace their differences” appreciate and embrace their differences. Our endeavour to venture into the known and the unknown is what makes us human, as is our cognisance of what makes us all different and what makes us the same. This fear must be at the front of our thinking going forward, but we should resist the belief that security and terror are the only threats to travel and tourism. In researching this report, we surveyed more than 2,500 Brits to uncover how the last 12 months have changed how we feel about travel in all its forms, investigate why we feel this way and, most importantly, what can be done to fix what is broken, be that trust, process or perception.

66 passengers and crew perished when EgyptAir MS804 crashed in May

remain unanswered.

From what a potential Brexit could mean for British travellers going forward to how one may claim for injury compensation following a mishap in Courchevel, our considerations may have evolved in the 21 years since HTW launched, but misconceptions What we learned is that, in so and myths remain constant as the many facets, we have so much left North Star. to do, as there are so many questions that the public feel

Indeed, by far one of the most striking themes that emerged from our findings was the tangible disenfranchisement that the average UK consumer feels towards issues of travel. For example, more than a third of Brits said that it should be up to the Government to ensure term-time travel becomes less expensive to parents. But is this the government in the country they are going to or the one they are flying from? Or the one they happen to be in when they click ‘buy’’? (We will deal with this one later). In this report, we will look to dispel some of those myths, and hopefully go some way towards ensuring that the consumer, the industry and the world at large is ultimately better off.

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Travel Security: ‘The New Normal’ The events of the last 12 months have left an indelible mark on so many facets of our everyday lives, which spread so much further than simple issues of travel and tourism. These affects are yet to show their full impact, and could potentially change the way we live, work and travel for a generation.

“Putting on a brave face and carrying on as normal leaves the door open for the same threats and ensures that we never learn how we can improve safety”

itself for a tough year, as confidence in the safety of air travel, which has been the hot-button issue for more than a decade now, has taken yet another serious hit.

and holidaymakers look set to influence both consumer and industry behaviour long beyond the end of this year with the way we shop, sell and search for holiday purchases already changing. More than four in ten Secondly, on a more positive note Brits do not feel there is enough (of sorts), there will be an almost information and guidance given inevitable upsurge in domestic generally about ‘risk’ destinations, holidays and ‘staycations’ in the suggesting an understandable However, while much is still to be UK, which in turn looks set to revealed, the changes in holiday boost the peak season economy upturn in research following behaviour and attitudes that we at tourist hubs across the country. recent terror incidents. Indeed, according to our research, have seen in 2016, compared to Where are we now? more than a fifth (22%) of Brits the pre-Paris/Brussels/Tunisia have decided to holiday in the UK world, reveal plenty about the this year as a direct result of last current psyche of UK travellers year’s attacks, with a further 16% and the public as a whole. considering it an option for the Our research revealed that 45% of coming months. Brits say they are more nervous of Brits are about travelling abroad this year If we are to look for any crumb of following 2015’s terrorist attacks, comfort in an otherwise grave more nervous while a similar number (46%) say situation, then the potential for a about travelling similar 22% upturn in spending they are now more cautious about flying. The initial takeaways for British tourism could be some cause for cautious optimism, from these stats, for the travel should the figures bear out. industry at least, are two-fold. Although, as is so often the case Firstly, British airports and the have decided to airline industry in general needs with these things, it all remains to holiday in the UK be seen. to brace

45%

22%

This overriding caution among British travellers

Holiday Standards Report 2016

as a result of recent events

The vast majority of Brits (90%) also feel that tour operators should be more up-front when removing risk destinations from brochures or advising customers at point-of-sale to avoid anyone ‘accidentally’ booking a romantic break in a warzone.

The fact that checking if a potential holiday spot carries a serious threat of organised violence has become one of the tick-boxes of booking a trip, alongside car rental prices and travel insurance premiums is concerning enough in itself. But worryingly, more than a fifth of those surveyed (21%) rely solely on the media for information on risk destinations and 16% never look for information of this type because they wouldn’t know where to access it. The result is that, despite the desire for more information, our collective world view is still undeniably skewed, contributing to a culture of fear, ignorance and paranoia. A third of Brits incorrectly said Turkmenistan was a high-risk destination for tourists, while six in ten (60%) cited Pakistan as high-risk. These may seem like small details and mistakes to some, but we believe it is a part of a much larger problem which needs to be addressed. Too often we hear politicians and media commentators alike saying that ‘we must not bow to terrorism’, which we believe displays a fundamental misunderstanding of how atrocities have to influence our behaviour going forward. Putting on a brave face and carrying on as normal leaves the

door open for the same threats and ensures that we never learn where and how we can improve safety and understanding of the world around us.

60%

thought Pakistan was a high-risk destination

Unless we in the travel and tourism industry, alongside those in government and legislature, are proactive in educating the public about the safety of every potential destination and ensuring that security protocols and practises are as robust as

possible, we run the risk of turning on the news to see another major city in the throes of another atrocity sooner rather than later.

33%

believed Turkmenistan to be the same

The focus for us all going forward must be on what we should be doing, not simply what we have been doing, only then will our planet be a safer place to live in, work in and explore.

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Brexit: What Could it Mean? Cards firmly on the table here: we at Holiday Travel Watch are squarely behind Britain staying in the European Union. While it is a system not without its flaws, we believe that continued membership, alongside ongoing adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights, protect the rights of citizens and consumers across the continent in a myriad of ways. We are also of the belief that, sadly many of the ways in which the EU safeguards its inhabitants and visitors go largely unheralded in the day-to-day discussions about one of the biggest debates this country has seen in a generation. Indeed, you’re more likely to hear someone from #VoteLeave spitting out his afternoon tea in disgust over EU directives on the maximum size of a bunch of bananas (which, by the way, only apply to wholesalers, not market traders and corner shops) than how the Convention on Human Rights allows businesses to spread across borders. But I digress. The implications of Brexit on travel and tourism for UK citizens living both here and abroad has settled some way down the list of hot-button issues set by advocates and televised debate

Holiday Standards Report 2016

“Almost half of Brits are unaware that if Britain votes to exit the EU, it could mean more expensive air fares or a loss of consumer rights for travellers”

What do people know?

What don’t people know?

48% 48%

of Brits say that they plan to vote in favour of leaving the European Union on Thursday June 23rd

of Brits also did not know that leaving could mean a weaker pound and lower flight delay compensation

producers alike. But considering Brits made a total of 48.1 million individual trips to the EU in 2015, we believe that the issue of what the landscape could be when we wake up June 24th deserves much greater attention. According to our figures, 48% of Brits plan to vote in favour of leaving the Union. But what was really striking was that similar ratios are unaware that Brexit could mean more expensive air fares or a loss of consumer rights for travellers; and a weaker pound, lower flight delay compensation and higher mobile phone roaming charges (49% and 48% respectively). Perhaps even more surprising was that, when faced with this information, almost a quarter of voters said that they would reconsider how they were going to vote. This suggests a level of detachment from the debate, but also a worrying narrowness to the discussion as a whole. The fact is that Brits took 66 million individual international trips in 2015, and if any potential hindrance to this movement or financial penalty for its continuation is obviously a serious issue, one that we in the travel industry must take it upon ourselves to shine a light upon.

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Term Time Travel: Raw Deal or Real Issue? holiday during school holidays. And as the recent High Court ruling in favour of Isle of Wight father Jon Platt has shown, there appears to be growing legislative and judicial support for a review of the issue. Yet while 92% of our respondents believe something should be done about it, what alternatives are there for this inherently broken state of affairs? Well, according to our research, the public believe there are two clear favourites, the travel and tourism industry

38%

Ombudsman

Who should put this right?

37%

“Many may think we should be in charge of keeping our own house in order, but when things go wrong, it can just look like at old boys’ club”

Travel Industry

However, what has changed the landscape of the issue entirely, beyond one of perceived industry greed/supply and demand, has been the introduction of actual legislation which has tightened the grip on holidaying parents. As Indeed, parents have a tough of 2013, parents can be and have enough job at the best of times, been punishable by law for taking making it little surprise that there their children out of school during has been a determined reaction term time, with offenders facing to the barriers put around family anything from fines to actual travel and the ever-escalating prison time. costs that have emerged as a result. No real surprises, then that this whole situation has left The holiday travel binds that something of a bitter taste among parents find themselves in are many Brits (84% would like to see nothing new. Give or take a few it repealed). More than seven in weeks here and there, the school ten of the people we surveyed terms have fallen on pretty much (73%) do not think it’s right the same dates for generations. that parents are charged a As a result; airlines, tour operators premium for and package holiday companies, going on knowing that thousands of families have very little choice in the matter, top-up their prices around those school holiday periods. It may seem cynical, but alas capitalism can look that way sometimes.

Government

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 18 months, you may well have noticed that term time travel costs have been at the forefront of the travel industry conversation for some time now.

Holiday Standards Report 2016

13%

things go wrong, it can look very much like an old boys’ club. Something to be avoided.

We remain firm in our belief that an independent international travel ombudsman is the only way to tackle this problem. Staggeringly, a third (33%) of Brits have not booked a family holiday By the same token the itself assumption that the Government during school holidays in the past and the UK can curb this problem is also, we as price hikes made it Government think, some way wide of the mark. unaffordable. This is simply (37%). There is unjust. Only independent, The inherent issue with this certainly a strong case to attempted solution is that cross-border regulation and be made for both of these millions of annual trips taken by discussion can change the way options, however, dealing with the next generation see the world the British public are the former to begin with, we international, meaning that a trip around them, and that is believe that both come with their will usually cover more than one something we will continue to own serious question marks and government territory. champion. potential issues. The Government obviously has Before anyone jumps to the ability to impose punishments conclusions, we aren’t for a on those whom it sees as second saying that travel and undermining the UK education tourism has an issue with ethics system (and to repeal such laws), or morality, but we believe that as British schooling falls within its the idea of self-regulation comes jurisdiction. But how much with a huge amount of inherent influence can an individual baggage. While many may think sitting government have on we should be in charge of travel issues which cover keeping our own house in order, travel to the entire world as the scandals of recent years across a period of around media and press several months at a Jon Platt won a High Court ruling over taking self-regulation have shown, when time? his daughter on holiday during term-time

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Complaints: Never our fault?

Holiday Standards Report 2016

“The British holidaymaker has become one of the most astute consumers there is, they know what they will tolerate and very much what they won’t”

Brits in numbers ARRIVALS: SYDNEY

1 in 4

Brits don’t research local customs before travelling to a destination Most complained about things...

Do we know our rights?

Sometimes the writing is on the wall

One of the most encouraging trends (in one sense, anyway) that we have seen over the last two decades has been that Brits are now exponentially more confident in airing their holiday grievances than they were back when Holiday Travel Watch was established.

The knock-on effect of this lack of preparation and research is that it isn’t simply limited to learning the Forgetting financial remuneration language or planning the route for a second, despite the fact that from the airport. More than half of today’s UK holidaymaker has those we spoke to said they never access to more information on research which laws may affect more destination than any other them when abroad (such as the in history, thanks to sites such as local drink drive limit) and pretty Tripadvisor and Yelp, a quarter of much the same proportion don’t As of 2016, almost four in ten Brits them don’t research local customs research local news to be aware of have complained while on or etiquette before travelling. local crime levels before they travel holiday, with the top three (55% and 56% respectively). complaints including poor quality of room or cabin (38%), What are we doing wrong? cleanliness of room or cabin (34%) and food not being cooked properly (16%). Obviously, each of these are perfectly legitimate gripes, ones which, if severe enough, are more than sufficient grounds for financial compensation. However, with this new-found readiness to speak our minds has brought with

it an entirely avoidable potential for disappointment.

19%

14%

don’t take out travel insurance to save money when travelling

have been the victim of hidden holiday travel costs

38%

poor quality room or cabin

34%

unclean room or cabin

16%

improperly cooked food

Pair this with the revelation that almost a fifth of the UK population don’t take out travel insurance to save money (19%), a figure which equates to legitimately millions of unprotected trips every year, and it becomes evident that this is all part of a much larger problem. The British holidaymaker has become one of the most astute consumers there is. They know

74%

of Brits do not know or only partially know their consumer rights regarding flight delays

when something is not right, they know what they will tolerate and they very much know what they won’t.

on these subjects, and the travel industry needs to hold its hands up and admit that it should do more to change this.

However, for this knowledge to be worth its weight in gold, it needs to work in tandem with a more acute understanding of what their rights are and how they are protected by law and legislation. Currently, there is all too little information readily available on

We believe that an independent ombudsman would ensure that the information we need is no longer hidden, that rights are protected and that Brits are free to travel without the risk of being disappointed, left in the lurch or simply out of pocket.

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Snow Sports: A Slippery Slope 6.5 million Brits are planning to take a ski/snow holiday this year

Once exclusively for the kind of holidaymakers who wintered in Val d'Isère and summered in Cannes (and who also used seasons as verbs), the winter sports holiday has become one of the staples of the British holiday industry, and an increasingly affordable one at that.

Holiday Standards Report 2016

“A ski or snowboard holiday comes with inherent risks, ones which, while obvious, need to be understood and communicated in the right way”

73%

say th about ey know ve ry safety on the little slopes also revealed that the newly-accessible slopes, and their potential pitfalls, may still be somewhat unfamiliar to thousands who will be taking to the mountains in 2016/17. The survey showed that nearly three quarters (73%) of Brits say they know very little about safety on the slopes, and about the same proportion (72%) of those who have been on a winter sports holiday were not advised on the risks of dangers and injury prior to their trip.

Indeed, from a small group of a few thousand higher income consumers 20 years ago, the industry has snowballed (pardon the pun), with around 6.5 million Brits are planning on taking a ski/snow holiday this year. So, a serious cause for optimism for the travel industry, right? While some may think the risks involved in a two-week break Well, yes, however, our research where the main activity is hurtling down a frozen precipice at 40 mph for

eight hours a day are somewhat evident, this doesn’t tell the whole story. By its very nature, a ski or snowboard holiday comes with its inherent risks, ones which, while obvious, need to be understood and communicated in the right way by those at both ends of the online booking form.

22%

were n ensure ot advised o n equip ment how to was fi tted safely

42%

It may come as little surprise that the travel insurance industry has made sure to cover its back regarding ski and snowboard-related claims, yet 42% of the people we surveyed did not know that standard travel insurance does not include cover for winter sports injuries. This statistic becomes even more alarming when viewed in tandem with recent studies which have

didn stan ’t know insu dard tra ranc vel cove e doesn spor r winter ’t ts in jurie s

revealed that 15% of Brits injure themselves while on skiing holidays, which equates to thousands annually.

be addressed as a matter of course, by agents, The knock-on effect of this lack of booking sites and resorts alike otherwise unsuspecting knowledge has the potential to be devastating for countless Brits holidaymakers will be left injured and out of pocket. and their families, and needs to

How big is the problem?

50%

of Brits ‘never take out travel insurance for a snow holiday’

40%

of parents did not know that ski/snowboard injuries are not covered by standard travel insurance

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Gap Years: Finding yourself in trouble? It has become one of the world’s greatest travel clichés, the 18-year-old pre-university student disappearing off to Kerala for eight months to grow dreadlocks and meditate before heading off to read economics at Exeter. But the gap year has moved on from this tired stereotype to take on a life of its own over the last few years, spreading out to become a much broader church than it was when the first Brits began taking extended breaks from real life to backpack across the Antipodes. Almost a quarter of Brits (24%) said they wish they had gone on or would like to go on a gap year, with the highest figures among 45-54 year-olds (28%), which suggests that, despite how much we may mock the younger generation as they make for Machu Pichu, we do secretly envy

Holiday Standards Report 2016

“A lack of Spanish phrases can be more of an issue when you’re trying to catch a bus across Bolivia than in a Brit-filled resort on the Costa Brava”

Thailand has some of the fastestgrowing UK visitor numbers

their endeavour.

stretched.

However, the very nature of ‘roughing it’, particularly in far-flung and potentially inaccessible destinations, brings with it a different set of considerations and concerns to your average long weekend in Bordeaux or seven days in Mallorca.

Almost a third (31%) of parents say they worry about their children going on a gap year, with the cited risks reading a little differently to those that may apply to a post-sixth form trip to Zante. Of those who were concerned, 79% worried about their children’s personal safety, 61% were fearful of the risk of Dealing with parents first, while being caught up in a terror alert those of us with kids of our own and 40% were anxious about their know that we are children’s ability to manage their pre-disposed to worry more finances. than is either healthy or (hopefully) necessary, Now, while we all know that these feelings are telling teenagers to be careful compounded when with their spending is much distance and easier said than done, there are communication ways in which parents and links are

Australia is one of the most popular gap year destinations

schools and colleges should take it they upon themselves to highlight this would have disparity and act accordingly. more peace of mind if their child learned some key Just 25% of parents also believe phrases to communicate with their child will research local crime locals before going on their gap stats to assist with their personal year, yet just over a quarter (27%) safety while travelling. But while of 18-24 year-olds always learn this is obviously an issue which these phrases before travelling needs to be addressed, parents also abroad. It’s safe to say that a lack owe it to themselves and their of Spanish phrases can be more of nerves to practice as they preach children can an issue when you’re trying to soften the blow of and know what their kids are catch a bus across Bolivia than in the two previous signing up for. With some 22% of a Brit-filled resort on the Costa worries. parents incorrectly suggesting that Brava, so the Thailand was a designated ‘risk industry, So many of these fears destination’ and 15% saying the alongside come from a lack of same of Mexico (four respondents knowledge or understanding of Britain’s even claimed this of the USA), we these far-flung locations, which need to release the pressure valve also makes a huge contribution to on worried families. their appeal for young adults looking to get out of their This whole issue feeds into the comfort zone and see the world. environment of fear we discussed earlier. Understanding and the As we will covered briefly earlier, a desire to learn are what make little local knowledge can go a us human, help us develop long way, whether that’s to do and allow us to live without with local customs, geography or panic. We must make sure communication links, and that that we and our loved-ones applies to both the traveller and continue to travel, but not those they leave at home. to travel blind. You miss out on so much with your eyes Some 77% of British parents say closed.

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Safety Certificates: What are you booking?

Holiday Standards Report 2016

“We need an obvious indicator of standards emblazoned across very institution’s website, front door and leaflets. Its absence should speak volumes”

Truth be told, unearthing issues was not the challenging part of our research. While we may have a long way to go before we can fully overcome the ‘stiff upper-lip’ mentality, 37% of those surveyed say that they have complained while on holiday, suggesting we are much more open about our travel concerns and gripes. However, as is so often the case, the challenge was teasing out solutions to the problems raised. Incidents such as the Corfu Carbon Monoxide case have long contributed to our belief that a Holiday Safety Certificate needs to be introduced for businesses and establishments across the world, holding everything from resorts to kids’ clubs to the same strict standards.

Hotels and resorts are not centrally regulated like airlines

Holiday Safety Certificate, which would clearly show consumers how their hotel or resort ranks for its on-site safety. As predicted, 77% of consumers believe that recent holiday safety tragedies such as the Corfu Carbon Monoxide case have made them Some 90% of Brits say they would more aware of safety when on support the introduction of a holiday in a resort/hotel.

Where are we now?

48% of Brits are more worried about hotel/resort safety as a result of incidents like Corfu

(77%) Brits did not know that, generally, it is not a requirement for Kid’s Club staff abroad to be UK DBS checked.

While it may seem easy for travel and tourism insiders to lay the blame at the public’s door, we are inclined to agree with the 72% of consumers who say that there is not enough information available However, while the public may be about safety in resorts and hotels. largely in agreement with the A Holiday Safety Certificate would idea of an independently issued bring the conversation about certificate, the spectre of safety to the forefront of the misconception rears its head holiday booking process, where again around the subject of we believe it belongs. We need an current certification. obvious indicator of standards emblazoned across every For example, almost three institution’s website, front door quarters (74%) of the people we surveyed did not know that Kids’ and leaflets, showing the UK Clubs abroad do not have to meet consumer exactly what they are getting. And its absence should British quality and safety standards. In addition, eight in ten speak volumes.

CERTIFIED “A fifth of Brits wrongly believe that safety assessments are made in hotels by an external assessor.”

Holiday Standards Report 2016

Holiday Standards Report: So where next? standards within the travel product.

problem is enforcement.

They are now consulting on how One claim made by the enforcement of rights can be Commission following the closure made more effective across our of the Safety in Holiday borders, but that only works if you Accommodation Consultation, have laws or standards that are was that there was no need for positioned to create rights along

There are two major challenges facing us in the next 12 months; Safety & Enforcement of Rights. On the question of safety in holiday acommodation, the EU Commission has bowed to political pressure to end the Consultation on Holiday Safety. This has proved to be a major disappointment, not just within Holiday Travel Watch, but also within other campaigning organisations and the Travel Industry. The challenge is how to fill the void that has been left behind. We have risen to that task and have created the ‘Brussels Statement’ and are about to offer its suggestions out to the wider travel community. We have created a roadmap to safety, using EU Law and obligations on the Commission and Parliament, to create Law or Standards that are fit for purpose which also delivers Safety into the arms of Travel Consumers while raising

“Huge challenges lie ahead, but we shall be here to meet them head-on” Law; Member States had sufficient enforcement possibilities to increase safety in the Travel Product. If this were the case, then Safety would not be the issue it clearly is today. Coupled with that, the Commission has recognised across a wide range of consumer product issues that the key

with bodies that will help consumers get justice for their complaints; currently, safety in holiday accommodation is the poor relation in all consumer products. Huge challenges lie ahead, but we shall be here to meet them head-on.

- Frank Brehany Consumer Director, Holiday Travel Watch What are the priorities?

13% of UK tourists say they have been ripped-off while on holiday

90% of Brits would support the introduction of a safety certificate

Holiday Standards Report 2016

The survey was conducted by Atomik Research via their online panel, Power of Opinions, between 5th March 2016 and 6th March 2016. The sample of the research was 2,531 nationally-representative UK-based respondents aged 18-65, covering England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The report was produced by 4mediarelations on behalf of Holiday Travel Watch.